Meet the Team – TCR Hub

Rachel began her career working with the community running an after school club in her hometown of Leyburn, North Yorkshire 20 years ago. This experience inspired her to plan a career with children and young people on completing her uni degree, 5 years later. By this time she’d moved to County Durham and began working with the Local Authority as an Education Welfare Officer, Connexions Adviser, Youth Worker and then Teacher. Rachel had great mentors at Staindrop School, who encouraged her to train as a Secondary Teacher. She continued to work in the community with Joe at TCR and Dianne Spark at UTASS. She also spent a few years at the YMCA in Barnard Castle and briefly managing Oxfam in the town for 12 months!

Since leaving formal education Rachel has not looked back and loves working in the voluntary sector. She still delivers the Duke of Edinburgh Award from the Hub, which she says helps to remind her what youth and community work is all about.

Rachel has worked hard alongside the staff team to ensure that the Hub is sustainable and a good quality resource for the region. “We are getting there and our profile is constantly rising. Managing a charity today can be tough – nothing can be taken for granted, the climate is forever changing and I have to be very enterprising in my approach to management.”

The effort is all worth it when we get a great review or feedback, and even a rare negative one pushes me to improve our service further!!”

Jonny began volunteering for Teesdale Community Resources in 2012 not long after The Hub was established. He would come down every week and check the PPE for the canoeing and high ropes so they were ready for any sessions. Eventually He was offered a part time job, running sessions and groundskeeping and general building management. As The Hub became busier and busier and our staff team more specialised, it has made sense for him to go full time (even then he struggles to fit it in!). “It has been wonderful working for Teesdale Community Resources all of these years. I feel that I have gained an incredible amount of experience and many qualifications, which has helped me develop professionally.”

“A major highlight so far has been to run activity days for Rainbows, Brownies and Guides annually which has now gained the name of Hubabaloo. Working with up to 90 children through out the day is an amazing, if not an exhausting experience!”

Tom Whittaker is the Hub’s Music Studio Coordinator. He also teaches drumming and Music technology to students.

Tom has played the drums for over 14 years and has been in a number of bands. He taught drums at TCR before the Hub itself was built, whilst studying an A level in Music Technology. He left TCR in 2008 in order to go to university and graduated with a BA honours in Creative Music Technology. Having worked in various projects Tom then moved to Middlesbrough where he worked on various freelance sound design projects. Having returned to the Hub, Tom now heads up the Hub Music Dept and is happy to answer any questions regarding lessons, recording or hire of studio equipment.

Sarah Gent joined the TCR Hub team in September 2020 to drive forward Family Activities as part of the National Lottery funded project. A step into creative programming and delivery for Sarah, this role gives her the chance to enjoy working with local families to enable more people to access the fantastic facilities at the Hub whilst ensuring that there are things happening that people want to do! Sarah has fifteen years of Marketing and Communications expertise, working for The Witham community arts centre in Barnard Castle from 2015 to 2020 as the Programming and Marketing Manager. She is a Linocut artist as well as trained English and Drama teacher so is able to facilitate workshops and devise exciting activities that will be of interest to children, young people and adults alike. Sarah works thirty hours a week, sharing the role with Jane Woodward (see below)

Sarah Gent Family Activities Coordinator TCR Hub

Sandie Truten is the Hub’s Finance Assistant. She works part-time and is usually at the Hub or working from home on a Monday. Sandie has been been part of the Hub team for around two and a half years. Sandie processes and prepares financial requirements for the purpose of facilitating purchases, arranging invoices and responding to queries. Sandie moved to Teesdale from her native Glasgow around ten years ago and prior to moving worked as an Accounts Assistant for Harper Collins. She combines her part time role at the Hub with another part time Accounts Assistant role for the local newspaper, the Teesdale Mercury. As finance roles can be quite solitary, Sandie enjoys being part of the bigger team and loves that there is always a buzz about the Hub and the diversity that it can bring to her role – often no two weeks are the same!

Jane Woodward is one of our Family Activities Coordinators, working alongside Sarah. Jane works ten hours a week, sharing the role with Sarah Gent (see above)

Jane Woodward TCR Hub Family Coordinator

Rupert joined the team in April 2021 and settled in quickly, learning the ropes and coordinating with our volunteers enabling the delivery of food parcels across the community. Part of Rupert’s new role includes creatively using surplus foods to produce delicious meals, providing those on low incomes or with a barrier to accessing food with quality care packages, delivering cookery demos and workshops, rescuing surplus foods and delivering hot meals to our older generations.

Alison first became involved with the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award at the hub when her eldest two children were working towards their awards. At first, she helped with the admin side of the award and then gradually became more involved working with the youngsters on all aspects on their award. Now she regularly assists with training and expeditions. She is now keen to gain more qualifications to become more involved with the expedition training.

‘I achieved my Gold DofE award when I was 18. I still have amazing memories of the experience and made great friends who I am still in touch with. My Aunty inspired me to get involved with the award as she was a DofE leader/assessor for many years and showed her enthusiasm for getting young people involved. I would now like to pass on my experience and enjoyment to the youngsters that come through The Hub’.

Although Alison’s background is working as a teacher in Primary Schools she enjoys working with teenagers and can use many of her skills needed in education for helping the youngsters achieve their award.

Graham looks after his own garden and allotment, which are immaculate, and volunteers time each day at the Hub. He recalls that when the TCR Hub first opened the grounds were mainly nettles but with persistent hard work the grounds are now a credit to Graham and to the Hub, supporting a wealth of activities which visitors can enjoy.

If you have any time to spare and feel that you could offer to help look after the grounds of the Hub, or, if you would like to volunteer in an alternative role, please contact Rachel on 01833 690150. We would love to hear from you!